News in Olympia on Progress of our Condo
Conversion Bills and what you can do to help us!

Even though
last week you called/e-mail members of the Senate urging their support for a
Senate bill controlling runaway condo conversions,- now we need you to make calls to key House members (just
a few who we've listed below).... because a house version of our bill HB 2014
was just introduced!

-- please call and/or e-mail House members we've listed below - as many as you
can at numbers addresses below - urging them to support a House version of our
bill controlling conversions just introduced- HB 2014! Please do so ASAP!
Thousands of folks are losing their homes unless we act inside and outside
Seattle! Hearing to be held soon!

details: A special thanks to Rep. Maralyn Chase who has just introduced a
House version of our condo conversion bill - HB 2014. She's prime sponsor and is
joined by these other key sponsors - a special thanks too all of them too!
Representatives Sharon Tomiko-Santos, Mark Miloscia, Bob Hasegawa, Phyllis
Kenney, Larry Springer, Timm Ormsby, and Geoff Simpson.
- and now it's up to you to call/e-mail those legislators we've listed below
urging that they too give their support to a condo conversion bill HB 2014 - and
stay tuned for date of hearing in the House - again please make these
calls/e-mails to those House members we've listed below even if you've already
called/e-mail Senators

Summary: Two weeks ago, we asked you to call members of the Senate to
urge them to support a condo conversion bill SB 5031 with amendments. That bill
is still being considered in the Senate Consumer Protection and Housing
Committee after hearings were held last week on it. There also is a substitute
version of that bill that's even stronger (see details below) But now we've got
a House version of this bill circulating thanks to several key and concerned
legislators HB 2014 so you must call and urge members of the House for there
support (even though you may already have called some Senators.)

Sooooo here's what you need to say when you call these House Rep's ASAP
(see list & numbers below) - strongly urge them to support HB 2014 giving back
to cities the right to control condo conversions and ensures adequate relocation
to displaced low income tenants and senior citizens. This important bill in
effect gives cities back "local control" of this serious problem that has caused
the loss of 3900 lower priced rentals in Seattle just in the last two years and
4000 units lost in King County just in 2005 not counting Seattle. Other parts
of the region and state also are seriously affected. by supporting this bill
you'll give cities local option to control or limit these losses if they so
choose. This is a serious problem that's driving up housing prices and causing
widespread homelessness! Seniors also are signicantly affected. Please Support
HB 2014. You can read the text of the proposed bill by going to the state's
website for House of Representatives and typing in the bill number or by
clicking here.
Also, for more details on the status of our Senate version. A "Substitute
bill - SSB 5031 is now being introduced in the Senate Consumer Protection and
Housing Committee which ensures a cities right to provide relocation assistance
and to limit the number of conversions "temporarily" when the process of
conversion adversely affects a city's housing stock. The earlier version only
guaranteed a right of cities to require developers to share in the cost of
providing relocation assistance to displaced tenants. The city's lobbyists now
thanks to work of City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen is in fact supporting this
stronger version too. Our House version already has the stronger language in it
by the way. Oh and if you haven't yet called Senators, you also could call any
of the Senators we've listed below especially the D's on the committee urging
them to support the substitute over the original SSB 5031.

for more information/details call us at 632-0668 or go to our website (google
Seattle Displacement Coalition and information on the bill is the lead headline)
Members of House Housing Committee call all D's especially urging them to
strongly support HB 2014 giving back to cities local option to control 'runaway'
condo conversions - 4000 county-wide in one year (not counting Seattle) and 3900
rentals lost in '05 and 06 in Seattle alone - please support HB 2014:
Mark Miloscia (Federal Way Area) Dem. (360) 786-7898 Thank him for being sponsor
Larry Springer(Kirkland, Woodinville)Dem (360) 786-7822
mailto:springer.larry@leg.wa.gov Thank him for his sponsorship
Troy Kelley (Stielacoom,Lakewood, University Place)Dem.(360) 786-7890
mailto:kelley.troy@leg.wa.gov
Timm Ormsby (Spokane) Dem (360) 786-7946
mailto:ormsby.timm@leg.wa.gov Thank him for being a sponsor too
Jim Dunn (area NE of Vancouver Wa) (360) 786-7994
mailto:dunn.jim@leg.wa.gov
Jim McCune (Yelm, Eatonville, Orting) Rep. (360) 786-7824
mailto:mccune.jim@leg.wa.gov
Lynn Schindler (North of Spokane) (360) 786-7984
mailto:schindler.lynn@leg.wa.gov

Members of the Senate Housing Committee who you also could call if you haven't
already - remember on the Senate side your calling to urge them to support SSB
5031 - for same reasons as stated above - calls include:

Ken
Jacobsen (lead sponsor of bill & D) (360) 786-7690
if you call Jacobsen please urge him to support the Substitute Bill SSB 5031
(not just the original bill SB 5031). The original bill did not include
provisions giving back to cities the right to control the actual number of
conversions occurring each year in their city (and was only a relocation
assistance bill) mailto:jacobsen.ken@leg.wa.gov